On Freud's "Splitting of the Ego in the Process of Defence"

This book includes the development of the concept of "splitting" from both metapsychological and clinical perspectives, emphasizing the great importance of this topic for contemporary psychoanalysis. Starting with the history of the concept, the book covers recent French, English and Latin American theorizations on the theme. In regard to clinical approaches it presents the relationship between the "splitting" and complex clinical cases such as borderline, perverse and psychosomatic conditions. The book also includes aspects of "splitting" and virtual reality, as well as in traumatic situations: factors so important in contemporary life. The premise behind this work was to invite authors from different regions and orientations to promote a fruitful debate on the theme, thus enriching one of Sigmund Freud's most seminal concepts.

Thierry Bokanowski is a founding member and training and supervising analyst of the Societe Psychanalytique de Paris, and a member of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA). He is a former editor of 'La Revue francaise de Psychanalyse', former member of the IPA Publications Committee, former Scientific Secretary to the Institut de Paris, and currently chairs the Executive Committee of the Commission d'Enseignement de la Societe Psychanalytique de Paris. He has published several papers in various psychoanalytical journals, including the 'International Journal of Psychoanalysis'. His books include 'Sandor Ferenczi', and 'De la pratique analytique', translated under the title 'The Practice of Psychoanalysis'. Sergio Lewkowicz is currently the Scientific Director of the Porto Alegre Psychoanalytical Society; Psychiatry and Training and Supervising Analyst for the Porto Alegre Psychoanalytical Society; Publications Director of the Porto Alegre Psychoanalytical Society; Professor and Supervisor for Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy in the Psychiatry Department, Medical School of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul; Member of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA) Publications Committee; Member of the Programme Committee of the 43rd Congress of the IPA in New Orleans (2004); former President of the Society of Psychiatry of Rio Grande do Sul; former Editor of the Psychiatry Journal of Rio Grande do Sul; and he has published papers on psychoanalytic technique.